Nitrogen-doped graphene oxide/cupric oxide as an anode material for lithium ion batteries

A nitrogen-doped graphene oxide/copper oxide (N-GO/CuO) nanocomposite is prepared through a modified Hummers method followed by heat treatment. The composite is characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, and the results show crumpled and curved graphene oxide nanosheets with uniformly distributed CuO nanoparticles. The composition of N-GO/CuO is further studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical behaviors of N-GO/CuO as an anode material for lithium ion rechargeable batteries are investigated by galvanostatic discharge-charge measurements and cyclic voltammetry. N-GO/CuO exhibits a high reversible capacity of 472 mA h g(-1) under the current density of 372 mA g(-1) with excellent capacity retention of 99.7% over 100 cycles and improved rate capacities. This work demonstrates that N-GO/CuO is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.